Top 10 Best Songs of Iron Maiden

Fear of the Dark is THE Iron Maiden song, and that's largely due to the song's live reputation. The studio version is good, but the live performances (where tens of thousands of fans sing the melody like a football stadium) have made the song mythical. It plays with dynamics: from whisper-quiet and ominous to bombastic and grand. For the Dutch fan, this is the ultimate festival anthem.

Compact, fast and equipped with a chorus made to scream along to. Run to the Hills is the most "radio-friendly" hit of the band and therefore consistently ranks high on the lists. The drum intro is legendary and the tempo never drops for a moment. It is the perfect bridge between the energy of the 1980s and the nostalgia of today.

Wasted Years stands out because of the melancholic lyrics about homesickness and the passage of time. The opening tune from guitarist Adrian Smith is immediately recognizable but remarkably melodic. The song touches a sensitive nerve that goes beyond just "hard music".

Without a traditional chorus, but with a melody that everyone can sing along to. The Trooper leans entirely on the famous "gallop" (the horse-galloping rhythm of the bass guitar) and the two-part guitar lines. It is a historical epic about the Crimean War that in the Netherlands has grown into cultural heritage for rock lovers.

This is Iron Maiden at their most accessible. With a chorus that could have fit in a pop song and a production that doesn't lean as heavily on guitars, the band reached a wide audience with this. In the Top 2000, this is often the "entry-level" track: it has the energy of metal, but the structure of a radio hit.

The song that caused controversy, but made the band immortal. The long scream at the beginning is one of the most iconic moments in metal history. Musically, it is a rollercoaster ride that constantly threatens to derail, but through craftsmanship stays exactly on track. A classic that defined the theatrical side of the band.

The ultimate opener. Aces High musically emulates the chaos and speed of an air combat. Bruce Dickinson must vocally go to the extreme in the verses, while the bass guitar of Steve Harris sounds like a machine gun. It is an energy injection that shows how tight the band can play at high tempo.

This song rides on a hard rock riff that is so catchy you can almost dance to it. The lyrics, full of references to nuclear threats and corruption, contrast sharply with the almost festive groove of the guitars. It is a rare moment where the band opts for "swing" instead of pure speed, making it a timeless rock track.

Before the band filled stadiums, they played in sweaty pubs with singer Paul Di'Anno. Phantom of the Opera is the masterpiece from that early, raw period. It combines the aggression of punk with the complex structures of progressive rock. Although it appears less often on the radio, it remains the blueprint of what the "Maiden sound" would become for the purists.

The song builds slowly from ominous silence to an explosive finale. The guitar solos halfway through, where the two guitarists exchange melodies with each other, are considered one of the highlights of the genre.